United Kingdom
British Passport : Series 20 (1997 — 2006) European Union
The new series was first issued on 4 December 1997 introduced through a phased roll-out with the last issue was on 31 January 2008, when British passports were gradually issued as a biometric passport from 2006.
Until 4 October 1998, children under 16 years of age were able to be included on the passport of any family member. Since that date, all children have been required to hold their own passports. However, children whose particulars were already included in their parents' passports were not immediately affected by this change and were permitted to continue to travel with their parents until the passport concerned expires or needs to be replaced.
In 1998 the first digital image passport was introduced with photographs being replaced with images printed directly on the datapage which was moved from the back endpaper to page number 31 to reduce the ease of fraud. These documents were all issued with machine-readable zones and had a hologram over the photograph, which was the first time that British passports had been protected by an optically variable safeguard.
VARIETIES
TYPE 1. Design closely similar to EUROPEAN COMMUNITY edition.
PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS: TYPE I
This document is the European Union version, which progressively replaced the European Community model from 4 December 1997. No further European Community passports were issued after January 1998.
Laminate safeguards showing faint yellow UV crowns. The pink visible safeguard is the style of crowns found in the laminate of this document until 17/6/98, after which a new style was gradually introduced. The laminate contains a yellow ultraviolet safeguard of one small crown at the centre-left of the photograph area and three down the right edge of the photograph area.
The large yellow crown is a page safeguard; the four fainter, smaller crowns are a laminate safeguard. A further crown at the bottom of the photograph may be present in some earlier versions of this document.
Page 2 for child additions but no child additions were permitted after 5 October 1998, after which date children were required to obtain a separate passport.
A standard passport is 32 pages. But a 48-page passport was also available for frequent travellers. It costs more than a 32-page passport and is not available for children.
PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS: TYPE II
A new version of digital United Kingdom passport was introduced on 5 October 1998 at the Liverpool office. The technology captures a digital image of the photograph and signature and reproduces these onto the personal details page of the passport. It has also been enhanced with new security measures including the use of a digital facial image rather than a laminated photograph and intaglio or raised printing on the inside on the front and back covers.
Visa pages show a yellow daffodil flower; for passports issued between 05/10/1998 and 31/12/1998, it appears on pages 3,5 or 6,7 or 8,9,12,13,16,17,20,21,24,25 or 26,27 or 28 and 29 or 30. For passports issued from 01/01/1999, it appears on pages 4,5,8,9,12,13,16,17,20,21,24,25,28 and 29.
As children under 16 can no longer be included on new adult passports and must have a separate child passport, the page for children's information has been removed.
The name of the authority on the datapage was changed from United Kingdom Passport Agency to UKPA.
Note: Since 10 September 2001, UK digital image passports are valid for up to 10 years and 9 months.
DATAPAGE
The biodata page contains five different designs of laser cut patterns in different positions.
VISA PAGE
A ribbon watermark on pages 1/2 and also 31/32.
A UV visible daffodil motif can be seen on some visa pages, but not all. The destriperf (laser perforation) creates a patterned hole through the page.
(Sub I) Visa pages show a yellow daffodil flower; for passports issued between 5 October 1998 and 31 December 1998, it appears on pages 3, 5 or 6, 7 or 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25 or 26, 27 or 28 and 29 or 30.
(Sub II) For passports issued from 1 January 1999, it appears on pages 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28 and 29.
The holograms are on a photo-sized patch attached to the underside of the laminate.
The stitching thread is white and should fluoresce yellow in UV light.
The front and rear endpapers are printed in green and blue intaglio (raised printing).
The rear endpaper contains a border and has 5 lines of extra small print reading UNITEDKINGDOMPASSPORT.
LANGUAGES
The document was printed in English. The datapage was printed in English and French.
Community, country and document's name on page 1 as well as datapage field names' were printed in all twelve languages.
DOCUMENT & COUNTRY'S NAME
NATIONALITY
British citizens, British Overseas Territory citizens of Gibraltar and British subjects with the right of abode are considered to be UK nationals for the purpose of EU law. They are therefore considered to be EU citizens, allowing them to move freely within the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
VALIDITY
Each document upon issuance will be valid for ten years unless stated differently by the issuing office.
Based on NOTES page 2,
Adults, normally 10 years up to a maximum of 10 years 9 months.
Children, normally 5 years up to a maximum of 5 years 9 months.
Version II
Since 10 September 2001, UK digital image passports have been valid for up to 10 years and 9 months
As of 16 June 2014, a children passport in this series which has just expired can have its validity extended, using a rubber stamp.
Extension stamp applied by British diplomatic posts to extend the validity of British passports for a period of 12 months from the date on which the extension is applied. Extension stamps will be applied only if there are at least three empty visa pages in the document. A note "Passport extension on page XX" will be written on the Observations page. If the Observations page is laminated this note will be written at the top of the page opposite the page with the photograph of the holder.
GEOGRAPHICAL VALIDITY & PERMITTED COUNTRIES
No longer explicitly stating area or permitted country. It is a known fact that British passports are valid for all countries and territories.
However, there may be an administrative entry restriction by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom.
DIPLOMATIC REQUEST PAGE
The version I and Version II share similar wording on the diplomatic request page, except for the arrangement.
DIPLOMATIC REQUEST PAGE
Version I
Version II
Until 4 October 1998, children under 16 years of age were able to be included on the passport of any family member. Since that date, all children have been required to hold their own passports. However, children whose particulars were already included in their parents' passports were not immediately affected by this change and were permitted to continue to travel with their parents until the passport concerned expires or needs to be replaced.
In 1998 the first digital image passport was introduced with photographs being replaced with images printed directly on the datapage which was moved from the back endpaper to page number 31 to reduce the ease of fraud. These documents were all issued with machine-readable zones and had a hologram over the photograph, which was the first time that British passports had been protected by an optically variable safeguard.
VARIETIES
TYPE 1. Design closely similar to EUROPEAN COMMUNITY edition.
- First issued on 04/12/1997
- Translation of all EU languages increased from 10 to 12
- The photo was laminated on the interior side of the back cover
- Since 05/10/1998
- Diplomatic Request Page
- Page number 2 for child additions. No child additions were permitted after 05/10/1998, after which date children were required to obtain a separate passport.
- Translation in all 12 EU languages on page 3
- Datapage moved from back endpaper to page 31
- Photograph and signature were digitally printed onto datapage
- Observations on page 32
- Emergency contact on back endpaper
- Digital facial image rather than a laminated photograph, and intaglio or raised printing on the inside of the covers.
- Bluish-greenish paper
PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS: TYPE I
| Predominant Colour | Cover: Burgundy Pages: Purplish-Yellowish |
| Perforations | No perforations. |
| Dimension | ISO/IEC 7810 or ID-3 or B7 ICAO Standard Passport Booklet Size 88 × 125 mm |
| Total Pages | Standard Issue: 32 pages Business Issue: 48 pages |
| Photograph | Laminated |
| Page | Description |
| Front Cover | Community's Name EUROPEAN UNION Country's Name UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND Coat-of-Arms: Royal Heraldic Crest of the Government of the United Kingdom .png) Document's Name PASSPORT Golden hot foil stamping. |
| Front Cover - Interior Side | Diplomatic Request Page |
| Page 1 | Community's Name Country's Name Document's Name Document's Number |
| Page 2 | Accompanying Children Information (Below 16-year-old) |
| Page 3 | Notes & Regulations |
| Page 4 | Translations in all Twelve EU Official Languages |
| Page 5 to Page 31 | Visas & Immigration |
| Back Cover - Interior Side / Endpaper | Datapage |
This document is the European Union version, which progressively replaced the European Community model from 4 December 1997. No further European Community passports were issued after January 1998.
Laminate safeguards showing faint yellow UV crowns. The pink visible safeguard is the style of crowns found in the laminate of this document until 17/6/98, after which a new style was gradually introduced. The laminate contains a yellow ultraviolet safeguard of one small crown at the centre-left of the photograph area and three down the right edge of the photograph area.
The large yellow crown is a page safeguard; the four fainter, smaller crowns are a laminate safeguard. A further crown at the bottom of the photograph may be present in some earlier versions of this document.
Page 2 for child additions but no child additions were permitted after 5 October 1998, after which date children were required to obtain a separate passport.
A standard passport is 32 pages. But a 48-page passport was also available for frequent travellers. It costs more than a 32-page passport and is not available for children.
| Age (Year) | Validity Period (Year) |
| 0 - 15 | 5 |
| 16 and above | 10 |
PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS: TYPE II
| Predominant Colour | Cover: Burgundy Pages: Purplish-Yellowish |
| Perforations | No perforations. |
| Dimension | ISO/IEC 7810 or ID-3 or B7 ICAO Standard Passport Booklet Size 88 × 125 mm |
| Total Pages | Standard Issue: 32 pages Business Issue: 48 pages |
| Photograph | Laminated |
| Page | Description |
| Front Cover | Community's Name EUROPEAN UNION Country's Name UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND Coat-of-Arms: Royal Heraldic Crest of the Government of the United Kingdom Document's Name PASSPORT Golden hot foil stamping. |
| Front Cover - Interior Side | Diplomatic Request Page |
| Page 1 | Community's Name Country's Name Document's Name Document's Number |
| Page 2 | Notes & Regulations |
| Page 3 | Translations in all twelve EU Official Languages |
| Page 4 to Page 30 | Visas & Immigration |
| Page 31 | Datapage |
| Page 32 | Observations |
| Back Cover - Interior Side / Endpaper | Emergency Contacts |
A new version of digital United Kingdom passport was introduced on 5 October 1998 at the Liverpool office. The technology captures a digital image of the photograph and signature and reproduces these onto the personal details page of the passport. It has also been enhanced with new security measures including the use of a digital facial image rather than a laminated photograph and intaglio or raised printing on the inside on the front and back covers.
Visa pages show a yellow daffodil flower; for passports issued between 05/10/1998 and 31/12/1998, it appears on pages 3,5 or 6,7 or 8,9,12,13,16,17,20,21,24,25 or 26,27 or 28 and 29 or 30. For passports issued from 01/01/1999, it appears on pages 4,5,8,9,12,13,16,17,20,21,24,25,28 and 29.
As children under 16 can no longer be included on new adult passports and must have a separate child passport, the page for children's information has been removed.
The name of the authority on the datapage was changed from United Kingdom Passport Agency to UKPA.
| Age (Year) | Validity Period (Year) |
| 0 - 15 | 5 |
| 16 and above | 10 |
Note: Since 10 September 2001, UK digital image passports are valid for up to 10 years and 9 months.
DATAPAGE
The biodata page contains five different designs of laser cut patterns in different positions.
VISA PAGE
A ribbon watermark on pages 1/2 and also 31/32.
A UV visible daffodil motif can be seen on some visa pages, but not all. The destriperf (laser perforation) creates a patterned hole through the page.
(Sub I) Visa pages show a yellow daffodil flower; for passports issued between 5 October 1998 and 31 December 1998, it appears on pages 3, 5 or 6, 7 or 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25 or 26, 27 or 28 and 29 or 30.
(Sub II) For passports issued from 1 January 1999, it appears on pages 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28 and 29.
The holograms are on a photo-sized patch attached to the underside of the laminate.
The stitching thread is white and should fluoresce yellow in UV light.
The front and rear endpapers are printed in green and blue intaglio (raised printing).
The rear endpaper contains a border and has 5 lines of extra small print reading UNITEDKINGDOMPASSPORT.
LANGUAGES
The document was printed in English. The datapage was printed in English and French.
Community, country and document's name on page 1 as well as datapage field names' were printed in all twelve languages.
DOCUMENT & COUNTRY'S NAME
|
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
PASSPORT
|
NATIONALITY
| Category | Country Code |
British Passport |
Consular Assistance From UK Diplomatic Posts |
Immigration Control Exemption and Right of Abode in the UK |
EU Citizen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Citizen | GBR | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| British Overseas Territories Citizen | GBD | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (Gibraltar) | ✓ (Gibraltar) |
| ✗ (other territories) | ✗ (other territories) | ||||
| British Overseas Citizen (BOC) | GBO | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| British Subject | GBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ (with right of abode) | ✓ (with right of abode) |
| ✗ (without right of abode) | ✗ (without right of abode) | ||||
| British National (Overseas) | GBN | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| British Protected Person | GBP | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
British citizens, British Overseas Territory citizens of Gibraltar and British subjects with the right of abode are considered to be UK nationals for the purpose of EU law. They are therefore considered to be EU citizens, allowing them to move freely within the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
VALIDITY
Each document upon issuance will be valid for ten years unless stated differently by the issuing office.
Based on NOTES page 2,
| 1 Validity A passport is valid for ten years, unless otherwise stated. If issued to a child |
Adults, normally 10 years up to a maximum of 10 years 9 months.
Children, normally 5 years up to a maximum of 5 years 9 months.
Version II
| AGE GROUP (YEAR) | MAXIMUM VALIDITY (YEAR) | EXTENSION |
| 16 and above | 10 | Not permitted |
| 15 and below | 5 | Not permitted |
Since 10 September 2001, UK digital image passports have been valid for up to 10 years and 9 months
As of 16 June 2014, a children passport in this series which has just expired can have its validity extended, using a rubber stamp.
Extension stamp applied by British diplomatic posts to extend the validity of British passports for a period of 12 months from the date on which the extension is applied. Extension stamps will be applied only if there are at least three empty visa pages in the document. A note "Passport extension on page XX" will be written on the Observations page. If the Observations page is laminated this note will be written at the top of the page opposite the page with the photograph of the holder.
GEOGRAPHICAL VALIDITY & PERMITTED COUNTRIES
However, there may be an administrative entry restriction by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom.
DIPLOMATIC REQUEST PAGE
The version I and Version II share similar wording on the diplomatic request page, except for the arrangement.
| Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary. |
Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary. |
DIPLOMATIC REQUEST PAGE
Version I
| NOTES Observaciones - Bemærkninger - Hinweise - Σημειώσεις - Avis - Nótaí - Avviso - Opmerkingen - Anotações - Lisämerkintöjä - Anmärkningar 1 Validity A passport is valid for ten years, unless otherwise stated. If issued to a child under sixteen years of age it is normally valid for five years in the first instance but may be extended by the issue of a new book for a further five years. A passport which is ten years old or has no further space for visas must be replaced by a new one. 2 Citizenship and National Status British citizens have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. No right of abode in the United Kingdom derives from the status, as British nationals, of British Dependent Territories citizen, British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas citizens, British protected persons and British subjects. 3 Immigration and Visa Requirements The possession of a passport does not exempt the holder from compliance with any immigration regulations in force in any territory or from the necessity of obtaining a visa or permit where required. It should be noted in this connection that the majority of British territories overseas have immigration restrictions applicable to British nationals as well as aliens. 4 Children Children who have reached the age of sixteen years require separate passports. 5 Registration Overseas British nationals resident overseas who are entitled to the protection of the United Kingdom authorities should contact the nearest British High Commission, Embassy or Consulate to enquire about any arrangements for registration of their names and addresses. Failure to do so may in an emergency result in difficulty or delay in according them assistance and protection. 6 Dual Nationality British nationals who are nationals of another country cannot be protected by Her Majesty's Representatives against the authorities of that country. If, under the law of that country, they are liable for any obligation (such as military service), the fact that they are British nationals does not exempt them from it. A person having some connection with a Commonwealth or foreign country (eg by birth, by descent through either parent, by marriage or by residence) may be a national of that country, in addition to being a British national. Acquisition of British nationality or citizenship by a foreigner does not necessarily cause the loss of nationality of origin. 7 Caution This passport remains the property of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and may be withdrawn at any time. It should not be tampered with or passed to an unauthorised person. Any case of loss or destruction should be immediately reported to the local police and to the nearest British passport issuing authority (eg Office of the United Kingdom Passport Agency; British Consulate; British Embassy or British High Commission); only after exhaustive enquiries can a replacement be issued in such circumstances. The passport of a deceased person should be submitted for cancellation to the nearest such passport authority; it will be returned on request. |
Version II
| NOTES Observaciones - Bemærkninger - Hinweise - Σημειώσεις - Avis - Nótaí - Avviso - Opmerkingen - Anotações - Lisämerkintöjä - Anmärkningar 1 Validity A passport is valid for ten years, unless otherwise stated. If issued to a child under sixteen it is normally valid for five years. A passport which has expired or has no further space for visas must be replaced by a new one. 2 Citizenship and National Status British citizens have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. No right of abode in the United Kingdom derives from the status, as British nationals, of British Dependent Territories citizen, British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas citizens, British protected persons and British subjects. 3 Immigration and Visa Requirements The possession of a passport does not exempt the holder from compliance with any immigration regulations in force in any territory or from the necessity of obtaining a visa or permit where required. It should be noted in this connection that the majority of British territories overseas have immigration restrictions applicable to British nationals as well as aliens. 4 Registration Overseas British nationals resident overseas who are entitled to the protection of the United Kingdom authorities should contact the nearest British High Commission, Embassy or Consulate to enquire about any arrangements for registration of their names and addresses. Failure to do so may in an emergency result in difficulty or delay in according them assistance and protection. 5 Dual Nationality British nationals who are nationals of another country cannot be protected by Her Majesty's Representatives against the authorities of that country. If, under the law of that country, they are liable for any obligation (such as military service), the fact that they are British nationals does not exempt them from it. A person having some connection with a Commonwealth or foreign country (eg by birth, by descent through either parent, by marriage or by residence) may be a national of that country, in addition to being a British national. Acquisition of British nationality or citizenship by a foreigner does not necessarily cause the loss of nationality of origin. 6 Caution This passport remains the property of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and may be withdrawn at any time. It should not be tampered with or passed to an unauthorised person. Any case of loss or destruction should be immediately reported to the local police and to the nearest British passport issuing authority (eg Office of the United Kingdom Passport Agency; British Consulate; British Embassy or British High Commission); only after exhaustive enquiries can a replacement be issued in such circumstances. The passport of a deceased person should be submitted for cancellation to the nearest such passport authority; it will be returned on request. |